Plugging in to Virtual Mentorship

在Comcast Nbcuniversal，我们的核心价值观源于改善我们生活和工作的社区。如今，当我们面临着共同的19日大流行以及越来越多的社会正义和平等呼吁的挑战时，我们的员工仍致力于回馈有需要的人。以下是两个例子，说明了我们的员工在这些非凡时期如何在社区中自愿志愿服务。

A Challenge for a Cause in Washington

Throughout the past school year, dozens of Washington state high school students spent many hours eagerly preparing for a competition – the Comcast Innovation Challenge 3.0. With a focus on using technology to address social issues, the challenge enables teens to flaunt newly-acquired STEM education skills as they vie for college scholarships, free laptops, and of course, bragging rights. But just as the students were entering the final stages of preparation, COVID-19 struck. Rather than abruptly end their efforts, they worked with their school, the Technology Access Foundation, to transfer the competition to a virtual collaboration workspace.

This is the third year that Comcast has hosted the Innovation Challenge, and with the help of employee mentors such as Uzo Nwokedi, a supervisor for one of Comcast’s operational centers of excellence in Washington state, the students quickly pivoted from live to livestream.

乌佐说，他对学生对在线环境的过渡感到印象深刻。他说：“我们在秋天和冬天亲自见面，但是当我们三月份转向虚拟世界时，他们就落入了，因为这就是我们所拥有的。”“他们变得更加井井有条，充满信心，当是时候展示他们的最终项目时，他们的演讲像丝绸一样流畅。”

This year’s assignment was to create designs to support the disability community during a natural disaster. The students envisioned concepts, built prototypes and presented their inventions to their mentors, parents, classmates and the community who all voted on the winners. Highlights included inventions such as air vests, hooded wheelchairs, and an evacuation virtual assistant. Learn more about the winnershere.

使其在费城工作

Across the country, employees like Uzo are committed to finding ways to best serve their local communities.

Raphael Soto, a technical analyst in Philadelphia, knows the importance of supporting organizations that lift others up. He recently volunteered as a mentor for a workshop with Tech Impact, a nonprofit that helps prepare young adults for careers in IT, without the need for a degree. Just three short years ago, he was a student himself in Tech Impact’s ITWorks program.

“我曾经没有方向。我不知道我想要什么，但是我的室友在康卡斯特（Comcast）工作，我认为这听起来很令人兴奋。我做了一些研究，得知我不需要学士学位就可以参加ITWorks。”拉斐尔解释说。“我加入了该计划，同时工作了两个工作来支持自己。尽管我每个晚上只睡了大约四个小时，但我知道回报将是建立我的职业生涯的基础。”

Ultimately, Raphael landed a position at the “Techbar” on the Comcast Center Campus, which is an internal technology help center for employees. He has since been promoted to a role where he focuses more on knowledge management. He often meets with ITWorks students who visit the Comcast Center Campus for tours and discussions with employees, thanks to a program led by Rob Keeton, a Comcast executive director in Information Systems Solutions.

Rob began providing the tours because he remembered the feeling of being 21 years old and preparing to enter the IT workforce without having a clear vision of a “day in the life” of a professional. “Helping others thrive by connecting them with someone who can explain how to start their career has been incredibly rewarding,” Rob said. “ITWorks is literally transforming lives, and I’m thrilled to have a part in that, alongside my colleagues.”

当Covid-19击中时，Rob和团队重新构想了巡回赛，以允许虚拟设置保持势头。最近，他们为ITWorks学生举办了为期一天的在线研讨会。签约为志愿者的员工范围从拥有20多年网络安全经验的凯茜·里斯（Cathy Rees）等高级员工到拉斐尔（Raphael）等新员工。

一位学生参与者Bryan Yong是一名24岁的ITWorks毕业生，他参加了研讨会，希望获得降落下一份工作的技巧。在家庭优先事项使他无法继续接受教育之后，他在过去的五年中担任桌上游戏经销商。他说：“在赌场，我没有榜样可以教我专业精神，尤其是在技术方面。”“研讨会中的软件开发人员解释了始终准备好投资组合，拥有学习意愿，并让您的个性在视频采访中遇到的重要性。”

Comcast NBCUniversal is proud of its employees who are making a difference in their communities, especially during these times of uncertainty.